The Society of Professional Journalists’ Region 9 honored the staff of The Durango Herald with 11 awards Friday night at a ceremony in Denver.
Region 9 of the professional journalists organization includes members of media organizations in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. The “Top of the Rockies” contest is put on by the Colorado SPJ chapter.
There were more than 700 entries from newspaper, Internet, radio and television media organizations. The contest was judged by members of media organizations in Oklahoma.
The Herald was judged in the category of circulation from 10,000 to 30,000.
“This is a great showing by the Herald news team in a regional contest in which we were competing against papers three times our size, said Don Lindley, managing editor.
The winners are:
Agriculture, general reporting: Third place, Pamela Hasterok, for “Shares of love: Small-scale farms supply healthy, organic produce.”
Sports photographer: Second place, Steve Lewis, for “State wrestling championships,” a photograph of Alex Peña and Teagan Overturf, both of Ignacio, after Teagan’s win over Kyler Bear of Paonia in the first consolation round for the 160-pound weight division in the Class 2A state wrestling tournament in February 2012.
Spot news photography: Third place, Jerry McBride, “Search on for shooter,” a photograph of a Southern Ute tribal officer removing jewelry from Elijah Timothy Anglin of Farmington after he was stopped and arrested on U.S. Highway 550 just north of Bondad Hill. He was arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Joey Benavidez near Ignacio.
General Website Excellence: Second place, Durango Herald staff.
Education, general reporting: First place, Chase Olivarius-McAllister, for “DHS aims to work some magic: School forges ahead with new principal.”
Business, enterprise reporting: First place, Emery Cowan, for “Suds & Crafts: As appreciation for microbrews grows, makers rewarded for exploring and pushing boundaries.”
Personal or humor column: Second place, John Peel.
Public service: Second place, Emery Cowan, for “A Historic Promise,” a four-part series about the Native American tuition waiver at Fort Lewis College.
Investigative/enterprise reporting: Second place, Joe Hanel, for “The state’s No. 1 dangerous pass is ... Herald looks at snow, accidents, switchbacks to make determination.”
General reporting – series or package: Second place, Dale Rodebaugh and Jordyn Dahl, for “Missionary Ridge 10 years later, 39 days of destruction,” a three-part series of the 10th anniversary of the Missionary Ridge Fire in 2002.
Breaking news story: Third place, Shane Benjamin, for “There was no house: Family of 3 survives ‘devastating’ explosion,” a story about the Kelley family’s house exploding at Lemon Reservoir.
